Southern Gypsey Queen

Band: SGQ

Members: Gareth, Paul and Tammy Wilson

Genre: Rock n’ roll

Hometown: Born and bred in Molteno, based in Joburg.

 

What’s the best South African music festival – the one you guys wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to play at?

[It’s] a toss up between Oppikoppi and Strab, both fests just have a hedonistic “rock n rollness” about them, [we] love it!

Gareth it’s been said you reintroduced the super skinny jean – how skinny are we talking here and how does this affect your mobility on stage?

I wouldn’t say I re introduced them, but the bootleg is dead brother, my mobility is intact, makes for great dry humping.

Tammy – tell us what it’s like being the only lady in the band? Do you get as much hassle from your brothers as our female editor does from us?

On the road I am one of the boys, I have the worst potty mouth in the band!

Tell us about the singles off this current album. Which ones do you predict are going to be favourites amongst your fans?

Angels Wings is the first single, but I’d say live at shows the rocker All up in my soul seems to be the fans’ favourite, but then again a song about girl on girl love will do that.

What’s been the toughest lesson SGQ has had to learn about the industry?

Not really [a band] to harp on about shit, it’s a great life on the road, but it ain’t easy.  We learned to stick together as a band, in the end it’s you against the world, like a gang, push hard enough and people will listen.

What’s the best South African band to party with – tell us some stories!

Albert Frost without a doubt, Paul and Tammy don’t party too hard but myself (Gareth) and Albert deffos know how to tip a bottle, we did a collab tour and managed to find the dodgiest bar in every city in SA. As for the stories, ha, I’m not that stupid.

Have you been star struck before?

Of course, meeting Vusi Mahlasela was a definite groupie moment for me (Gareth).

Describe your SGQ fans.

It’s rock n’ roll so the audience is quite different, some are pretty, some are ugly, some are thin, some are fat, [we’ve] got young kids that wished they saw Zeppelin and even have a few bullets who did see Zeppelin, but they all party hard and are very appreciative of old school “ruk en rol”.

What’s it like being full-time musos? Is it everything day dreamers would imagine it to be?

It’s the greatest blessing to do what you love full-time, but it comes with a lot of hard work and stress, not all free tequila and supermodels.

Paul – you’ve been voted one of Heat’s hottest celebrities. What’s been the craziest thing a girl has done to get a date with you?

My favourite was a dolly at KKNK who asked Gareth for the microphone to wish her mate happy birthday. Since she was hot we let her do it, but instead of wishing her friend she looked me straight in the eye and shouted “Eat my pussy!”  in front of a couple thousand people.

The Delusions album – would you say it’s your best work yet and what makes it a little different from your previous albums?

Without a doubt our swan song thus far; rock n’ roll meets melody.

What’s your favourite thing about touring?

Getting face to face with the people that buy our albums, and then having a tequila at the bar with as many of them as possible.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home from touring?

Catch up on all our shows on our PVRs, we all share a love for TV.

Is there any music critic out there you’d like to get in the ring with?

Nope don’t take any of that shite personally; dig it, don’t dig it, we still gonna do it.

Lastly – what’s the best thing, the most meaningful compliment you’ve been paid about your music and your live performances?

Ha h! Many years ago Albert Frost told me to take it all with a pinch of salt; if they tell you that you suck ignore them, if they tell you that you are amazing and music has been waiting all this time for you to come along, ignore them. It’s great when people let us know that our music means a lot to them, but we don’t like to dwell on it too much.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLCvhPeuqgc